Memorable

Dave and I enjoy taking trips that require some time in the car, because it allows us to actually have time to talk (if our attention isn't being demanded by a kid, that is). Dave came to the conclusion that taking trips with our kids (even though it can be hard and draining) is a really good thing to do for a number of reasons: 1. It helps us appreciate the fact that we all have our own bedrooms to sleep in at home. 2. It gets us out of our food ruts. We end up eating different things on trips and I find new things the kids like to eat. Violet ate sausage patties like they were candy every morning last weekend. I didn't know she liked those. 3. We remember the kids. Silly to say, but getting our whole family OUT of our "regular family life and routine" at home all the time helps us to make a memorable mark on what the kids were like at their ages during that trip. I remember when Violet was 1 month old when we made a road trip to a friend's wedding. I remember her when she was 6 months old at Fair Hills three years ago when my mom's family took a vacation. She was still a nursing baby, couldn't crawl yet, and I remember that week of how she was more than the first 6 months of her life. Dave and I often refer to how they were "on such and such a trip" and what things they loved or didn't like on that particular trip. Calvin will be remembered on this trip for saying "hi" to everyone he laid eyes on and "bye bye xxxx" all the time...whether it was a person walking away from him or a car driving down the street. 4. They connect with family we don't see often. Violet and my Aunt Ruth had a blast singing and dancing together, I think she will remember that time for a long time and recall that time the next time we see each other. She also really knows her great grandparents Loren and Rowena. 5. I realize how excellent Violet's memory is. We hadn't been to my grandparent's house in exactly a year. We went to visit them 3 weeks after the flood destroyed our river house in 2008. At that time, my grandma got out a bowl of brightly colored beads and helped Violet string them on. When we got to her place last weekend, she said "Grandma Rowena, where are the beads?" all on her own. She remembered that from a year ago with no mention of them for 12 months. I even struggled to remember what she was talking about until she mentioned them more, and then I realized that is what they did a year ago. Calvin also crawled for the first time at their place a year ago. He was a challenge this year, now at 18 months. He wanted to grab and throw everything he got his hands on. I had to be after him every moment so he wouldn't destroy something. I hope he'll be better next time.